If you’re thinking this all sounds familiar; you’d be partly right. Low carb diets, including the famed Atkins, have been doing the rounds for as long as we can remember. (And so has keto, as the diet was first discovered way back in the 1920s.)
However, there are fundamental differences between the three diets in terms of nutrient and carb intake.
Carbohydrate intake
Although it may vary from person to person, a standard low-carb diet will aim for a carbohydrate intake of around 100-150 grams per day. At that amount, most people will never achieve ketosis.
Atkins takes a more cyclical approach, sometimes cutting out carbs almost entirely and occasionally splurging on a modest amount of 80 grams or so. The follower will periodically achieve ketosis, but then start burning glucose again once they reintroduce carbs into their diet.
The keto diet, on the other hand, aims to drastically cut down carbs to under 50 grams per day, resulting in a near-constant state of ketosis. And that, my fellow weight watchers, is why keto is the best diet out there for slimming down your waistline.
Nutrients
Atkins and the like aim to replace missing carbs with protein-rich foods.
The protein intake with keto, however, is moderate at most. But that’s because protein isn’t the star of the show here, as keto focuses on low-carb vegetables and high-quality healthy fats instead. As a result, keto lets you achieve a state of optimal fat-burning ketosis without feeling tired or food-deprived.
The Different Types of Ketogenic Diets
Ketonians divide the keto diet into five different types, each with its own unique guidelines and eating plans. The best option for you depends on your discipline, lifestyle, fitness, and weight loss goals.
The Standard Keto Diet: SKD
This is your regular, run-of-the-mill keto diet that most people go with because it’s simple to follow and yields great results. Expect to cut down carbs to between 20 and 50 grams per day, which you’ll replace with a moderate amount of protein and lots of healthy fats.
The Targeted Keto Diet: TKD
One for the active keto guy or gal, the TKD has you eating a similar amount of daily carbs (20 to 50 grams) in one meal between 30 to 60 minutes before a workout.
The Cyclical Keto Diet: CKD
The CKD is a great option for those who don’t want to jump straight in the deep end by drastically cutting down on carbs every day. The cycle sees you eating a low-carb diet for most of the week followed by a high-carb diet for a day or two until you’re ready to go full time. Think of it as like weaning yourself onto keto.
The High-Protein Keto Diet: HPKD
Similar to the SKD method, but you eat a lot more protein in relation to saturated fats. Therefore, the HPKD is not that unlike the Atkins diet.
The Plant-Based Keto Diet: PBKD
One for vegetarians and vegans, the PBKD sees you eating lots and lots of low-carb veggies. It’s a little tricky to manage though, so it’s best to seek guidance from a nutritionist.
Does the science still sound a little bewildering?
Let’s break it down to the bare basics: cutting carbs forces you to use stored fat for energy by entering a metabolic state called ketosis. And when complemented with the right Keppi supplements, your humble body will become a powerhouse fat-burning machine.
Got it?